testa



A. M. TESTA RULING DEVICE July 3o, 1929.

Filed April 15, 1928 Hy. Il

InjJeIzo e,I ANGEL o M 726791 Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANGELO M. TESTA, OF AUBURN, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO EVELYN B. TESTA, OF AUBURN,

MIAINE.v

RULING Application led April 13,

My invention relates to improvements in line ruling implements and I have for a general'object the making of a practical device capable of imprinting straight, uniform and parallel lines on paper sheets.

While my device is susceptible of a wide range of uses in connection with line ruling, a specific application for which it is particularly adapted is the ruling of the staffs on sheet music.

The duties of a professional musician or a teacher of music often necessitate the recording of a musical composition, either in the form of a copy or as an original work, and it is much less costly and considerably7 more convenient for these individuals to always have at hand an implement by means of which accurately ruled staffs may be quickly and easily made on a sheet, preparatory to transcribing the proper musical characters thereon, `than to buy printed sheets.

The ruling of the staffs may be extended in compass to include ledger lines, above and below-these latter, when. desired, being simultaneously ruled with the regular staff lines which preferably should be somewhat more prominent to avoid possible confusion. To accomplish this it is simply necessary to arrange additional thin faced inking discs on either side of the bank of heavy marking staff ruling discs.

My present invention contemplates the combination of a box or frame carrying a set of revoluble discs contacting, when in use, with a duplex pad composed of a main inkreservoir pad and a wiperpad integral therewith. It also provides means for `the withdrawal of the pads from contact with the inking discs on the completion of each ruling job for the purpose of properly cleaning the latter.

A very important object which I have sought in my invention is to procure even or uniform lines and this I accomplish by means of the novel construction of the inking pad.

Freshly inked pads of any description usually distribute an over-supply of the ink to the marking implement, causing coarse and bulrred lines or figures to be made.

To obviate this di'liiculty in my ruling device I provide in conjunction with and in addition to the main ink-reservoir pad another Which I call the wiper-pad which DEVICE.

1928. Serial No. 269,675.

serves to rub off the surplus ink from the inking discs so that only a thin coating remains thereon. Thus when the discs contact with the paper sheet a clean-cut impression is made.

The device is susceptible of various structural forms, two only of which I have disclosed in the accompanying drawings. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that I do not restrict myself to the precise mechanical construction therein shown but shall feel at liberty to adopt such modifications as seem .desirable provided always that any deviations from the forms illustrated and described shall be consistent with the meaning and intent of the invention and be coeXtensive with the subjoined claims.

In the drawing,-

Figs. l and 2 are perspective views of one form of the device showing it, respectively, in inoperative and operative position;

Figs. 3 and t are, respectively, central, longitudinal sectional elevations of the parts shown in Figs. l & 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified forni of the device;

Figs. and 7 show, respectively, central, longitudinal sectional elevations of the form illustrated in Fig. 5 in operative and inoperative positions;

Figs. 8 and 9 show two different methods of constructing the inking discs;

Fig. 10 isa transverse sectional elevation taken on line l0-l0, Fig. 6, and

Fig. 1l shows a combination set of staff and ledger line inking discs with a facsimile of the ruling.

Similar parts are identified by like reference characters in all the different views of the drawing.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1 repre sents the box or frame of the ruling device, journalled at one end of which, on the shaft 2, are a plurality of inking discs 3 which may be of any desired number, but as illustrated and as would generally be used for staff ruling purposes there are live.

These discs can be made from a solid bar as seen in Fig. 9, Where the outer portions only of the discs are formed, or they can be fabricated, as illustrated in Fig. 8, in which case there is provided a spacing collar between each of the two adjacent discs-the spacers being of a length conformable to the desired distance between the ruled lines.

The discs may also be made with hubs which serve as a substitute for the spacing collars 4. The shaft 2 is preferably made a tight drive fit in the collars and discs and rotatable in bearings 2 in the frame l.

Pivotally connected to one end. of the frame l, at 5, is a pad carrier 6 within which is the ink reservoir pad 7 and the wiper tail pad 8, the two pads being integrally formed. Any suitable means may be employed 'to support the wiper `tail pad and lprevent its displacement from the pad carrier, as the small pins 8f passing through the pad and through the sides of the carrier.

Secured to the frame l and contacting with the wall of the ink reservoir pad housing 9 is a spring l0 which normally'holds the pads out of engagement with the inking discs 3, making it possible to thoroughly clean the latter after the completion of each ruling job. t.'

Topiovide better guiding facilities for the rulingv device as it is pushed along the sheet being ruled, l supply the thin faced wheelsil which greatly assist in keeping the machine to a straight line movement. l

Fig. 5 shows an alternative design of ruling device. ln this model the inking reservoir housing. 9 is slidably and adj-ustably mounted within the frame 1,-the thumbscrew l2, operating in the slot 1 2 clamping the reservoir either in operative position (see Fig. olor in inoperative position (see Fig. 7). A handle `l is convenientffor manipulating the device. l v

lt Ais the usual practice in delineating iiiiisical composition to rule the live lines of the staff only andl insert. the ledger lines wherever the notes reach above or below the' stati' lines. l have illustratedv in Fig'. ll a le of ruling incorporating both yledger and staff lines which, with my device, may be' drawn simultaneously. The result is accomplished' by adding the desired number of ledger line discs having very narrow vfaces to ei ch side of the bank of broad faced staff line discs and operating the ruling device as ordinarily used. A somewhat wider frame will, of course, be necessary.

l lay great stress on the novelV construction of-my inking elements in the device and consider them the most"important of any in he combination of parts.

'lt is a well` known fact that newly inked pads liberate an over-supply of ink` tov the marking implement, causing the lines or characters to be blurred or irregular.

ln my present invention I employ whatV Tmight be termed a duplex pad so far as its action is concerned', although inV reality it is but a single piece. p

Themain supply forV ink is .embodied in the reservoir pad 7 from which is delivered the ink to the discs 3. quantity of ink than is desirable be drawn I' claim and desire to secure by Should a greater the discs.

The last contact of any portion of the periphery of the discs with the inking elcments, Just previous to its contact with the paper sheet, is with the wiper pad, which.

latter I preferably make 'semen-*hat more solid and homogeneous than' the portion which primarily supplies the ink to the discs.

Due to its compact nature this wiper pad is better able to resist without absorbing the over-supply of ink although it is :not so dense as to be impervious to or incapable of absorbing a suflicient quantity to make it pliable and in lit condition to uniformly meisten the contacting surfaces of the discs.

It will be noticed that a pocket 14E provides an interruption in the continuity of contact of the supply and wiper padsurfaces with the discs. i

This spacing of the two disc-contacting surfaces of the inking elements prevents any great amount of ink being taken up by the wiper vportion through direct absorption from the reservoir part of the pad and-assists the lwiper in fulfilling its function of checking rather than augmenting thel amount of ink nally deposited on the discs to bev passed on to the paper sheet in the form of imprinted lines.

In practical work the device has proven to be` a very useful and convenient implement for the purpose for which it was designed- Vespecially desirable, in the form presented,

for teachers and scholars in the musicalr profession butfequally effective and satisfactory in many other instances where straight line ruling lrequires to be done.

Having thus described my invention, what Letters Patl. In a device of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of discs rev-A olnbly mounted in said frame and depending for a spaced distance below the bottom thereof, a carrier pivotally/ connected to said frame, an ink pad disposed within said carrier, said pad including a `main portion constituting a repository for ink and an eX- tended tail portion integral therewith but Of lesser volume and 'to constitute a. wiper, both portions of said pad adapted to engage said discs at separated portions of their pes ripheraly surfaces.

2; In ay device of the character described comprising a frame, a shaft journalled in said frame, al disc on said shaft adapted to rotate ini said frame, a pad carrier pivotallyl Connected to said frame, a pad in said earrior adaliited to hold a quantity of ink, a tail portion on said pad of lesser thickness than the main inl-holding portion thereof, means whereby the said inloholding portion and the said tail portion of said pad may be brought simultaneously into engagement with said dise at respeetifely separated portions of the peripheral surface thereof, and means to hold said pad in separated relation to said dee.

3. A ruling device comprising in Combination a frame, a shaft journalled in said frame, a plurality of revoluble dises on said Shaft extending for a spaced distance below the bottom of said frame, supporting Wheele` on. said frame at the end opposite that on which said shaft is journalled, a pad carrier pivotally mounted on one end of said frame, a pad housing on said carrier, a liquid-absorbing pad disposed Within said pad housing, an extended tail portion on and integral with said pad, Said tail portion being of lesser and denser volume than the main portion of said pad, means whereby both portions of said pad may be brought, simultaneously, into engagement with Said dises at respeetively separated portions of the peripheral surfaces thereof, and means to hold said pad disengaged from said dises.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANGELO M. TESTA. 

